Parents need to judge for themselves if their children are getting an education that meets basic requirements of reading and writing as well as one that adheres to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

There is no “… proof that students in CSCOPE schools are being taught a systematic approach to reading that is built upon the reading research. This research says that emergent readers need to be taught phonemes and phonics skills in a systematic way with students being individually and consistently assessed for independent mastery before they go on to the next concept.”

“Neither is there any proof that CSCOPE student are being taught a systematic approach to grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and cursive writing; and there is certainly no proof that CSCOPE students are being held accountable in their daily speaking and writing to use the English language proficiently.”

“I challenge Texas public school parents whose children are in CSCOPE schools to sit down with their emergent readers (K-3). Choose one page from an appropriate grade-level text that has no pictures or graphics on it; and without giving their child any hints or predictable text clues, ask the child to sound out the words with ease and read out loud with fluency and expression.”

“I also challenge Texas public school parents to have their children sit down and write an expository paragraph (or persuasive paragraph) in their presence and without any supplementary “helps.” Parents should check the paragraph over to make sure students have written it in legibly written cursive (after Grade 3) and with correct grammar, usage, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.”

“If CSCOPE students cannot prove they can do these tasks, then obviously they are not being taught the SBOE-adopted TEKS which emphasize the above skills.”

What should a parent do if the above challenge falls short? Contact your child’s teacher, principal, superintendent and/or school board member and insist the curriculum be changed to ensure basic reading and writing skills are taught in your schools.